The Nepal government has been asked to consider installing portable toilets on Mount Everest to give mountaineers somewhere civilised to go. Apparently waste is becoming a problem on Everest, with it becoming littered with the debris of past exhibitions. Some of this waste such as human excrement can take decades to decompose due to the extremely cold conditions. Environmental groups believe that the installing lavatories will go some way to reducing the amount of waste left on the mountain. The Eco Everest Expedition, a Nepal based coalition of environmentalists who campaign to keep the mountain clean, have collected more than 13 tonnes of rubbish, 400 kilogrammes of human waste and four bodies from the mountain since 2008.

Primary schools in France have issued a ban on tomato ketchup due to fears that pupils are becoming distanced from traditional cuisine. The chairman of the National Association of Directors of Collective Restaurants said that they had to ensure children become familiar with French recipes so that they can hand them down to the next generation. He also expressed concerns that children were using sauces to mask the taste of what they were eating. The children will now only be allowed ketchup and mayonnaise once a week when they are having French fries for lunch.

If you struggle to find products that use sustainable palm oil then you might be shopping in the wrong supermarket. The Co-op now has 81 of its own label products that contain fully traceable sustainable palm oil. Based on this it has claimed to be the largest UK supermarket to be able to certify all its palm oil as sustainable. The retailer is working with a co-operative of smallholders who produce sustainable palm oil which is accredited by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil as part of an initiative in supporting sustainable solutions.

If you need any more excuses to eat chocolate then this article is for you. It suggests that women who eat a bar of chocolate a week can reduce their risk of having a stroke. The claim comes from a new study which looked at more than 33,000 Swedish women. It found that those who ate the most chocolate had the lowest chance of stroke. People who ate 66g of chocolate in a week were found to be 20% less likely to suffer a stroke whilst those who only consumed 8g or less were at the highest risk. I’m not convinced but as a precaution will make sure I have a regular chocolate intake, just in case.

If you are looking for something unusual this Christmas then the latest offering from Heston Blumenthal could be for you. He has created a mince pie that smells of pine when it is heated up. The pies which have recently gone on sale at Waitrose are expected to be very popular this Christmas. The pies contain a sachet of sugar which has been infused in pine oil. Once this sugar comes into contact with the hot pie the aroma is released. They are priced at £3.29 for six if you want to give them a try.

If you find that the avocados normally available in the supermarket are a little on the small side then these giant avocados could be just the thing. Much larger than the size we are used to seeing in our supermarket, these are about the size of a melon. They will be available from Waitrose priced at £4.99. Personally I’m not sure I could use it all before it started to go off, I guess you must really need to like avocado.

I have seen many bizarre outfits and costumes for pets in the past but I don’t think I have come across any wigs before. A US based wig maker is now making wigs for dogs. Customers can pay around £35 to have their dog dressed up to look like Sarah Palin, Madonna or Elvis. They do look a little bit silly.

If you are not very adventurous when ordering a curry and tend to go with a mild korma, then it seems you are not alone. Research by Patak’s has found that nine out of ten Brits prefer a korma and are too scared to try hotter curries such as a Vindaloo. Although 73% of adults do like a curry it seems we are still very cautious with our choices, the Bhuna, another fairly mild dish is another firm favourite with the British public. Only 10% of people who were surveyed liked a curry that was hot and 3% liked their curry flaming hot. Personally I tend to go for medium to hot dishes but I do try to choose something new every time I order if I can, just to add a little variety.

A Rare seahorse has recently been found in the River Thames suggesting that there could be a colony present there. The short-snouted seahorse (pictured) was discovered in the river at Greenwich. Although they are usually found along the south coat this is the furthest upriver that they have been found. The one which was found was a juvenile measuring just 5cm long which strongly suggests a breeding colony could be present in the river.

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